The main problem with solo training is a basic fact that it is solo. Without someone swinging a stick at you with some sort of intent, you are never going to be able to get the real feel for the art but there are a few ways to work with this until you find someone willing to bash your head in for fun. Here is a simple drill using a stick and a heavy bag to simulate and attack. You can always use a branch of whatever contraption you come up with for this but the bag is nice since you can get it to swing at you.